Train-controlling apparatus.



No. 705,291. Patented; my 22, |902.

.|. n. PmcE a A. c.V MILLER. v

TRAIN GUNTBOLLING APPARATUS.

(Appumion med me. 9, 19m.)v

(llo Model.)l

EMM# n o, .gq v Y @l w 3 9% e W d ma wams areas co. mum-mo, wAsmNamN, q. r.

UNITED STATES 5 PATENT OFFICE.

JONATHAN D. PRICE AND ALEXANDER C. MILLER, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS.

TRAIN-CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent No. 705,291, dated July 22, 1902. Application filed December 9. 190i.. Serial No. 85.168. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, JONATHAN D. PRICE and ALEXANDER C. MILLER, citizens of the United States, residing at Aurora, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Train- Controlling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

YOurinvention relates particularly to apparatus for use in connection with electric railways, such as elevated electric railways, for controlling the movement of cars or trains.

Our primary object is to provide apparatus adapted to the purpose of automatically stopping trains under certain conditions of the track. v

Our invention is illustrated in its preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawing, which illustrates by a diagrammatic'view a section of a railway-track, track` equipment connected therewith, and train-carried mechanism adapted to coperate with the'nontransient portion of the apparatus. The drawing illustrates a track having one electrically-continnous track-rail serving as an electric main and one track-'rail elect-rically divided into sections'corresponding to blocks, a third-rail trolley-wire or other suitable conductor electrically divided into sections corresponding to blocks, an electricallycontinuous fourth rail or other suitable conductor serving as an electric main, conductors connecting said last-named sections with said last-named main and provided with switches, instruments controlling said switches and connected with the track-rails, and transient or train-carried mechanism equipped with a conductor norm ally in'contact with said third rail,

and a manually-operated conductorwwhich may be thrown into contact with saidfourth rail, if desired.

The preferred construction is as follows:

A A A2 A3 represent block-junctions separating blocks B B B2 B3 B4, and C C' represent transient or train-carried mechanisms of two different trains, (only a portion of the mechanism C being shown.)

The track comprises an electrically-continuous rail a, and a rail having sections a', electrically separated by insulations d3. The third rail comprises sections b, electrically separated by insulations b. The fourth rail is electrically continuous and is designated by the letter c. The rails a and c are charged from a generator D, connected with said rails by means of conductors CZ CZ'. The rail-sections a' are connected with the fourth rail c through resistance-coilsf. The sections B of the third railareA connected at their advance -ends through conductors g, provided' with switches g,with the fourth rail c. Each switch g' is controlled by an instrument Zt,.connected with the rail a and with the rear end of the'co'rresponding track-rail section a.

The transient or train-carried mechanism C is conventionally shown and comprises, preferably, they drive-wheels Z of a motor-car, an electric motor Z on a shaft or axle Z3, a conductor Z3, vconnected with th electric motor Z and equipped with a shoe or brush Z4, engaging the third rail, a conductor Z5, connected with the motor Z and having in its course a controller Z6, said last-named conductor connecting with the wheel Zof the motor-car on the track-rail a, a manually-operated lever Z7, suitably mounted on the car or train and connected by a conductor Z8 with the conductor Z3 and provided with a shoe or brush Z3, engaging the fourth rail c, a conductor Zw, connected with the conductor Z3 and with the wheel Z on the rail c, and serving to The brake mechm', a cylinder m2, and a wheel-engaging brake The brake mechanism is one of the wellknown constructions in which the brake is automatically applied' by ventin g the air from the train-pipe.

The mechanisml C is a duplicate of the mechanism C.

It will be understood that thelever Z7 is ordinarily carried above the conductora and usually swings in a vertical plane.-

The operation is as follows: Current normally passes from the generator Dto the main c, thence through the resistance-coils f to the rail-sections a', thence through the instruments h to the track-rail d and back to the generator. Assuming a train to be in the block B and the block B to be clear, the electric motor C on the train will receive its current by way of the conductor g at the blockvenergize a magnet Zu, and an armature Z12 for Ithe magnet'l, which controls a valve Z13 of vthe brake mechanism ZM. -anism comprises a train-pipe m, having avent IOO junction A, the third-rail section b in the rear of the block junction A being energized through said conductor g. Accordingly current will pass through the conductor Z3 to the train-motor, thence through the conductor Z3 and wheel Z to the rail a and back to the generator D. At the same time the instrument Z11 will receive current from the conductor Z3, the other connection being through the wheel Z on the rail a. Thus when the block in advance is clear the armature Z12 is attracted and the valve Z13 closed. Assuming one train to be in the block B and another to be in the block B3,the conditions illustrated in the d rawing will be present. In this condition the current normally supplied to the instrument ZL at the block-junction A is shunted through the axle of the motor-car of the apparatus C to the rail a, thereby causing said instrument Zz to lose energy and drop its armature g', thus denergizing the rail-section b in the rear of the block-junction A'. Under such circumstances no currentwill be supplied to the apparatus C, the electric motor of said apparatus will fail to receive its current, and the instrument Z11 will be denergized, allowing the valve Z13 to open, thereby to vent the trainpipe and apply the brake. Thus under such conditions the motor-car loses its current and the brakes are automatically applied. As shown, the block B3 is clear and the armature of the instrument at the block-junction A3 is closed.

The gist of our invention lies in the employment of a track having one electrically-continuous energized rail and one rail electrically divided into sections corresponding to blocks, a third rail electrically divided into sections corresponding to blocks, and a fourth rail which is electrically continuous and energized and which is connected through suitable switehes with the sections of said third rail, instruments connected with both trackrails and automatically controlling said switches and connections between said fourth rail and the sections of the electrically-divided track-rail for supplying current to said switch-controlling instruments.

It is obvious that the invention maybe used in connection with a third rail or trolley-wire, and it is likewise obvious that the fourth rail may be replaced by an insulated feeder or main, in which case the lever Z7 and its connections would be dispensed with. It will be understood, of course, that the lever ZT is for the purpose of enabling the train to be advanced under control even while the block in advance is occupied. y

Changes in details of construction within the spirit of our invention may be made. Hence no undue limitation is to be understood from the foregoing detailed description.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a track having one electrically-continuous rail serving as a main and one rail electrically divided into sections corresponding to blocks, a third rail or conductor electrically divided into sections corresponding to blocks, a fourth rail or con.- ductor which is electrically continuous and serves as a main, an electric generator connected with said first-named track-rail and said fourth rail, connections between said fourth rail and the sections of said third rail through which said sections are energized, instruments connected with both said trackrails and controlling said last-named connections, and connections for supplying current to said last-named instruments.

2. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a track having one electrically-continuous rail and one rail having sections insulated from each other, a third rail or conductor having sections corresponding with said last-named sections, a fourth rail or conductor which is electrically continuous, a generator connected with said firstnamed rail and said last-named rail, conductors connecting said fourth rail with the several sections of said electrically-divided trackrail, conductors connecting said fourth rail with the several sections of said third rail and supplied with switches, and electromagnets controlling said switches and connected with both track-rails.

3. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a track having one electrically-continuous rail and one rail having sections insulated from each other, a third rail or conductor having sections corresponding with said last-named sections, a fourth rail or conductor which is electrically continuous, a generator connected with said firstnamed rail and said last-named rail, conductors connecting said fourth rail with the several sections of said electrically-divided trackrail,and having in their courses suitable resistance-coils, conductors connecting said fourth rail with the several sections of said third rail and supplied with switches, and electromagnets controlling said switches and connected with both track-rails.

4. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a track having one rail electrically divided into sections, a third rail electrically divided in corresponding sections, a fourth rail which is electrically continuous, resistance-coils connected with said fourth rail and with the sections of said electricallydivided track-rail, conductors connected with said fourth rail and with the advance ends of the sections of said third rail and supplied with switches,electromagnets controlling said switches and connected with said electricallycontinuous track-rail and with the rear ends of the sections of said electrically-divided track-rail, and an electric generator connected with said electrically-continuous trackrail and with said fourth rail.

5. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a track having an electrically-continuous rail, and a rail electrically IIO divided into sections, a third rail electrically divided into corresponding sections, a fourth rail or conductor connected with the several sections of. said electrically-divided trackrail, switch supplied connections between said fourth rail and the several sections of said third rail, electromagnets controlling said switches and connected'with both track-rails, train-carried mechanism having a conductor engaging said electrically-continuous trackrail and a conductor engaging said third rail, and a genera-tor serving to energize said electrially-continuous track-rail and said fourth ral G. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a track having an electrically-continuous rail, and a rail electrically divided into sections, athird rail electrically divided into corresponding sections, a fourth rail or conductor connected with the several sections of said electrically-divided track-rail, switch-supplied connections .between said fourth rail and the several sections of said third rail, electromagnets controlling said switches and connected with both track-rails, a generator connected with said electricallycontinuous track-rail and said fourth rail, and a train-carried electric motor having a conductor engaging said electrically-continuous track-rail and a conductor engaging said third rail.

7. In apparatus of the character described,

third rail, last-named electromagnets controlling said 'switches and connected with both track-rails, a generator connected with said electrically-continuous rails, a train-carried electric motor, a train-carried brake'mechanism, a magnet controlling said brake mechanism, conductors connecting said electric motor and said electromagnet with said electrically-continuous track-rail, and a conductor connecting'said electromagnet and said electric motor with said third rail whereby said rmotor is deprived of current and the brakes'V applied simultaneously therewithk when a denergized third-rail countered.

8. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a track having an electrically-continuous rail, and a rail electrically divided into sections, a third rail electrically section is en- "divided into'corresponding sections, a fourth yand movable into contact with said fourth rail.

In presence of- ALBERT D. BACCI, M. S. MACKENZIE. 

